A historical past instructor in Diyarbakir, in southeastern Turkey, has efficiently reworked the area’s conventional native dishes into vegetarian dishes.
Being a vegetarian throughout her time as a instructor in Istanbul, Zeynep Olgun determined to recreate conventional native recipes utilizing plant-based components to fulfill her eager for the delicacies of her hometown.
For instance, Olgun substituted water for eggs within the dough for içli köfte (stuffed bulgur balls) and used a filling consisting of onions, oyster mushrooms, parsley, and spices. In her model of lahmacun (Turkish flatbread with toppings), she opted for seasonal greens as a substitute of minced meat and topped it with sautéed eggplant.
When getting ready bitter dolma (stuffed greens) and sarma (stuffed grape leaves), ulgun changed meat and minced meat with seasonal greens, recent herbs, and a wealthy mix of spices, enhancing the flavour with olive oil. She cooked the dolma in sumac-infused water, which added a tangy contact to the dish.
Olgun shared her vegan cooking experience whereas getting ready these dishes within the Saklıkonağ neighborhood of Diyarbakir.
“While you’re a vegetarian, you usually miss dishes that historically comprise meat. So, I began fascinated by make these meals vegan-friendly,” Olgun defined, including that she additionally had her associates style her experiences, which had been vastly appreciated.
Emphasizing Diyarbakir’s wealthy culinary heritage, Olgun has expressed her dedication to reinterpreting native delicacies with a vegetarian contact.
“When folks consider Diyarbakir delicacies, they normally affiliate it with meat dishes. What I do is attempt to adapt Diyarbakir delicacies to worldwide variations. I exchange meat with alternate options comparable to mushrooms, chickpeas, lentils, walnuts and eggplant,” she mentioned.
“I’ve tailored sarma, lahmacun and içli köfte for vegetarians. The one distinction is the components we use. I select meat alternate options, based mostly on seasonal availability and greens that complement the flavours.”
Olgun admitted that her strongest craving whereas on a vegan weight loss program was the well-known Diyarbakır-style kebab. Nonetheless, she creates an answer by seasoning chestnut or oyster mushrooms with the identical seasonings used within the conventional dish and grilling them to carry again the flavors she missed. “This fashion, I can fulfill my longing for liver kebab,” she added.
Aspiring to create her personal model of vegan delicacies, Olgun additionally talked about her ongoing initiatives involving her college students on the college the place she teaches together with one targeted on içli köfte made out of a neighborhood plant, “kenger”.
“We intention to contemplate each international modifications and dynamics whereas preserving the distinctive style of our area. It is onerous to alter folks’s tastes and habits. Nonetheless, I believe I’ve succeeded in doing it at dwelling. My kids benefit from the dishes I make, considering they comprise meat.”
Olgun’s modern method to vegetarianizing conventional Diyarbakır delicacies reveals the intersection of cultural heritage and modern meals selections, contributing to the rising reputation of vegan alternate options within the culinary world.